Tag Archives: authority

Arguing Means Giving Up Power

Okay, I know that many of us have learned that we need to stick up for ourselves and stand our ground–but when it comes to parenting, getting into verbal tussles and arguments with our kids is a sure-fire way to send them the message that we’ve lost our cool, we’ve lost our power and that they are able to “get to us”… None of us is perfect and I know that I find myself arguing with my kids far more often than I would like. I know full well that is it unproductive and that I am really just expressing … Continue reading →

Make Sure They Know Who Is the Boss

One of the big myths of single parent homes is that the chicks rule the roost. People assume that with only one parent in the house—especially in families where the children outnumber the parent, the kids run wild and the parent is not actually in charge. This does not have to be the case. Just because you are the only parent, does not mean you can’t be the boss. I have written before about how my kids probably have more of a say in things like the grocery list, what we have for dinner, etc. than they would if our … Continue reading →

Don’t Allow Kids To Divide and Conquer

Kids from single parent households do not hold the monopoly on trying to divide parents into two different camps and play them against each other to get what they want. BUT, it is so much easier when your parents are not on the same page anyway! Kids from divorced or separated families have a ready-made situation where they can fan the flames of discord and try to get what they want by playing their parents against each other. But, you can me more savvy and NOT let your child play the divide and conquer game. Of course, thwarting your child … Continue reading →

Are You Asking Your Kids For Permission?

Have you ever heard a parent (or maybe even yourself) say something to a child like this: “Let’s stop hitting our sister, okay?” or “Would you like to go to bed now?” Maybe seeing it written out can show you that the parent is obviously abdicating authority and responsibility and giving the child an “out.” It is not uncommon for us parents to have an unconscious attitude of “asking” our kids for permission to be the parent in charge… Being the ultimate authority does not have to mean being a tyrant. I think this is where many parents falter and … Continue reading →

Who Gets to Choose the Bed Time?

Since all my kids are now in high school, with the eldest being a senior, bed time isn’t so much an issue any more. They pretty much get themselves to bed and I’ll occasionally catch them taking naps again. Now, curfew is the big battle ground. But, it used to be negotiations and discussions around bed time… Ultimately, parents get to decide (or should decide) when a child’s bedtime is. This doesn’t mean that you will be able to make them go to sleep, as I wrote yesterday, but you can make sure that they have the opportunity to get … Continue reading →

Act Like the Boss

I am not by nature the slightest bit interested in being the boss of anyone. That is one of the things that draws me to the type of work I do and the way I do it—I don’t want to have to tell anyone else what to do and I don’t particularly like it when someone tells me what to do! BUT, as we go about the running and operating of our home businesses, we do need to remind ourselves that we ARE the boss—there are plenty of times when we need to act like the one who is in … Continue reading →

Disagreements About Discipline

My husband and I have had this conversation a couple of times, but something interesting has been happening the last few weeks. You see, for years my husband worked out of the home while I worked freelance from inside of it. Our differences with regard to discipline seemed to be based around his misconception that I never did anything to correct our daughter’s behavior. She knew to behave when he was home because she knew that her daddy would discipline her. The interesting thing about this argument that always frustrated me was that when he wasn’t home, he would have … Continue reading →